The Denver (Colorado) district will close seven schools and reduce the number of grades served by three others at the end of the academic year.
The Denver Post reports that the board has agreed to close five elementary schools — Castro, Columbian, Palmer, Schmitt and the International Academy of Denver at Harrington — as well as West Middle School and the Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, a high school.
The district also will restructure three schools — DCIS Baker 6-12, Dora Moore ECE-8 School and Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy — so that they serve fewer grades.
More than 88,000 students were enrolled in Denver schools last academic year, a 4% drop over the district’s enrollment peak five years ago. The district has lost tens of millions of dollars annually in per-pupil funding from the state as enrollment has fallen.
The seven-member board’s decision is a reversal of the stance that four board members took when presented with a school closure proposal two years ago. At that time, a majority of board members were loath to close schools.
But board members, teachers union representatives and others in the community have grown more resigned to the fact that Denver would need to shut down schools because of declining enrollment.
The closures and changes to the 10 schools will take effect after the 2024-25 academic year.
Denver has closed 15 schools since the 2018-19 academic year.
Overall enrollment remains below the level it was at five years ago, and disrict officials expect it to continue to decline at least through 2028.
The district, which has a $1.4 billion budget, has seen a drop of $107 million in revenue since enrollment peaked in 2019. It is expected to receive at least $70 million less annually by 2028 as enrollment falls further, according to district forecasts.
